Field
The field relates generally to reels for spooling linear material and, in particular, to a reel including a connector for removably attaching two portions of linear material.
Description of the Related Art
Reels for spooling linear material, such as a hose or wire, onto a rotating drum have incorporated reciprocating motion of a guide through which the linear material passes, to advantageously cause the linear material to be wrapped substantially uniformly around most of the surface area of the drum.
Several methods have been utilized in the past for achieving such reciprocating motion. One common approach is to use a rotating reversing screw which causes a guide to translate back and forth in front of a rotating drum. For example, such an approach is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,494,003 to Russ. However, such reversing screws tend to wear out quickly, degrading reel performance and necessitating frequent replacement. Further, such reversing screws are bulky and increase the size of the reel assembly.
Another approach for producing reciprocating motion of the guide is to use a motor to control a rotating screw upon which the guide translates. In this class of reels, the motor reverses the direction of rotation of the screw whenever the guide reaches an end of the screw. Unfortunately, the repeated reversing of the motor increases the spooling time and causes the motor to wear down sooner. Other reels have incorporated significantly more complicated gear mechanisms for achieving the reciprocating motion.
Many reel constructions include exposed moving parts, such as the reel drum, guide, and motor. Over time, such moving parts can become damaged due to exposure. For example, an outdoor reel is exposed to sunlight and rain. Such exposure can cause the moving parts of the reel to wear more rapidly, resulting in reduced performance quality. Additionally, many reel constructions include additional parts outside the reel assembly, which increases the number of steps that the user has to take to use the reel or the number of parts the user must interconnect to use the reel, which increases the complexity of using the reel and is inconvenient for the user.
Thus, there is a need for a compact reel assembly having a reel with an improved reciprocating mechanism for efficiently distributing linear material across the reel drum and having an improved flow control mechanism.